Feed mechanism



Oct. 9, 1923. 1,49 ,840

c. D. KNOWLTCN FEED MECHANISM Filed 001:. 1 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented 0st. 9,

CUTLER 1). knowmolv, 0F BEVERLY,MASSACHUSETTS; 3 1m to wmssn n :IvIACHINERY CORPORATION, OF 'PA'I'ERSOIN, NEWITJERSEY, A 003203111 1911 or vmew J RSEY.

Application filed ott man 919. Serie l' Nb; $34,773. i

To all 20' k0???) it may ma ma f Be 1t known that I, CUTLER D. K roWL'roN, {L citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly; in the eotin ty of Essexend State 7 of Massachusetts; fhave inventedeertain 1111-, Y 'provementsin Feed Mecha ni'sm'sfof which the following description} in connection" with'the' accompanying drawings, is a specification, like I reference 'eheraeters" on the drawings indicating like parts in; the several figuresQ j This invention relates to feed ni eehanisms and is herein illustrated izi s'flembod ijed in;

machine for feedingkajitiele's one one-from one'end of a stacklg In handlingheeldift's' which are to the used inthe m gxnufacture ofboots end shoes it is common tostaek the lifts ine magazine end to feed theri i one by one; froni the magafzinejt'o'jso'me machine, for example a s'plitting 'niachine whioh is to perform an opera 'tion upofi the ni. Ansuehmechenism' com 7 prises 2t maggi'zine' forf holding the stackof lift's 'and reciprocating feed-"slide which operates uponithat' lift whichiisolow'erniost and pushes it"from beneath'the stackso that as eiie'h succeed-inglift becomes the lower- I 'niost l -liftfitr is 'fedforWa'rdl I Ai'ineehanism of this "type ire;quires comparatively 'heaV-yf inovingiparts to operate suceessfullyrand is, adaptedf'forfuse only on lifts on articles which are flat. When Warped or curled lifts are eh'oouiitered either ,thefeed' slide does notjirop'erly eiigege fthe "rear end' of a'given'liftfas it should 'orth'e forward end; f thePlift strikes the front Wallf oi '.tl'1e:'

magztzinel {Thev genergtl ohject "of "the present inven -V 'ti onlis 'to overcome these difficulties as ell is to 1 provide an improved "mechanism iq'vith 'hghter' movlng'" partsl-for feeding 'a rt eles' Wheth euornot they are distorted. P

the staekof articles supported on stationzu-y means adapted to reslst force appl ed portinginegznsgto nioye it past the support in'g' 'means-Qin'the' gene'rzil direction of "the length oithe st2iok.-In the illustrative nigifchine the stzick rests 'by grafity upon. the

supporting -means, end the grades" sirenifted from the su'pportljng'meansjone-by one,

reciprocating feed me b r nd op J EED Y IECHANISMQQ,

into chute or'passageivey ithieh desirable in ifeedi'ngarticles to certain ni'egli;

jthe operation o'f themachine.

clu eef them to any desired ma'bhine; A: hie'oh i -j iIllSIil. of this (type; may have "lighterf n10 parts than those of thei old type and isjino e a nisms, for example to a'oon veyor.

Ac o ing fff 1 vention the s'upportingqmeans comprises f three 4 spaced members through the' spg oe ;.1

between Whieh the artieles are ted- In the J of Whether a 'pgrticular-artiele is wgtrped'or 170 'not,the location'sof threepointsGn its'QdlgeI 1; t t om .fi .0 1 es vthele itle 'restsiupon thesupport. 'he reeiproe t'ory.

feed' member flie nggeop osit edges l the 'zirticlefztlternately atf those pointsso as j'to, move the'artiole firstin one. direction to i free it Jfrom one supporting meinherliend rth'eh inthe opposite direction free it from the remainder of jtheiisuppo'rting members- 1 1 80 whichithe presentunven'tion [is embodied. I FigsLQ, 3 and 4; Tare"views;principally in' section, showing the feed memlge'rsin di'if; ferentv positions "oecupi'ed {by I them during The base 5io'if the mechineghzi" forhied in:

ita' passageway '7 throi ghfwhiclfthe lifts are 7 V I I, v V tohe fed oneby one the liftsbeing deliy ered Ao'eording'to one feature of thein'ventionfrom the passageway to z a suitable ipiii t for example a fi b ez QrT helirin y f:

l v L d. boretherpe s g way i i -a magag in the dil'ection'of the .lengthof the stack, V 7 "guides Qa'nd supportingineinbersll'un 12; Y

i-Theguideshave slotted, i'igihtmigld'fi I v 'ustei-blflf :jeng'age' thedeWerniost-lif o-ffthe steekf et threeloealitiesi one et' o neurone edgei a ntl port has-a supportingiface inclined et in,

anotl ienfeatu're of i 65 v 'i'llustrative m aehine three spaeednie'm v lbers engage the V article'-frespectively ata} 1 -.po int onioneiedgeand at two poi-ntsgonf, the opposite edge, Consequently; irrespective loo angle of about fo 'ty-five degrees and is fast to orii'itegral with a holder 15, eachholder being fastened to the base 5 by screws 17 and having in its upper edge a rectangiii'la'r groove 19 \Vllltll is in line with the inclined face of the corresponding supporting menibcr. Extending through the grooves with their ends in contactwith the inclined stir-'- faces of the supporting members are feed members 21 and 23.

The illustrative machine is designed to opcrate upon heel lifts 100 whiclnas'shown'in Figures 2, 3 and 4, are stacked in the maga- Zinefche lifts beingheld in substantial aline nient by the. guides 9, and the stackfibeing supported by engagement of the supporting members 11 and 12 .with the underside of the lowermost lift. The member 11 'enga ges a locality at or nearthe rear edge of the lowermost lift. and the members 12 engage two localities at or near the opposite or front various shapes but is herein shown edge of the lift. In consequence of this three-point support, the lift, whether warped shaped with a rod 27 usta'bly fastened by means of nuts 45.

set screws 29 to. the legs of the U. Upon'this rod are pivoted the feed ineu'ibors while the feed member 21 is pivoted to the base of the U. The rod 27 is threaded; and. nuts,, I

the inclination of, the supports 12.- The two of which areshown at 31, are' 'irovided for properly ad uisting and positioning the feed members 23 on the wear. The frame .25 is suspended by links 33 35, said links being pivotedat their lower ends upon the frame and at their upper ends respect vely upon rodsE-S't] The rod 3T ext'ends through verticalslots formed in 4:1

wvhich are carried by two of't'he guides 9 and is adjustably held n. position b nuts threaded on'therod, two of said nutsbeiug shown at 43. The position of the link on therod 37.,may be adjusted and fixed, by The noun'tine; of the links 7 and will 35 is similar to that of the lip 'notbe described in detail. It will be noted however, that" the frame25 is suspended by the linlrs 33 and and that when the frame is reciprocated the feed members 21., 23 are moved in unison first in one direction and then in another. The reciprocation of the frame and with it of the feedzmembers .21, 23, is accomplished by a connectingrod Hwhich is pivoted at one end upontherod 27 ofthe frame and at the other upon a pin are pivoted.

4L9 carried by a crank arm 51. The crank -arm is adjustably fastened to a rotary shaft 53 by a cap screw 55 which passes through a slot in the crank arm'and is threaded into the shaft. A pulley 57, fast to the shaft and driven by a belt 59 serves to rotate the shaft. Mecimnis-mier apply-' ing power to the belt and for withdrawing it therefrom vwhen desired has not been shown, but may beof any suitable type.

In the manufacture of heel lifts it is o ustomaryfirst to die them out and'then tosubect them to the: operation-of some other machine.if they are top lifts, commonly to a slriving machine-or to a toplift compressor. in the drawings chute 61 18 shown into which the died .out lifts may "be deliverec and from which they fall into the magazine as indicated in Fig.2. And, as has been explained above, they areito. be delivered" from "the magazine one by one by the mechanism which has been described above.

, Assuming that the magazine has been filled or partially filled with a stack oflifts, shown in Fig. 2,1a-nd. that the parts of the machine occupy the positions shown, the

operation of the machine is as follows: The

frame 25 is pulled to the right thereby causing the feed,.member 21 .to slide down the supporting member l1, engage the'rear edge of the lowermost lift and push the liftto the riq'ht into the position shown in Fig 3. This movement of the feed member 21 frees the lift from engagement withv the supporting member 11 and permits the'r ear ofthe stack to descend until the rear. of the nexteto-thelowermost lift rests upon the feed-member 21. At this time the position of parts is that shown in Fig. 3, the lift having assumed an inclined positionwhich is'determined by frame 25 is then movedv to the left during which movement the feed member 21 is withdrawn from beneath the stack, andthe feed porting members 11 and 12; In theillustra- 'tive machine the thickness oft-hefeed members and the spacesbetwcen the lower ends of thelguidesf) and the inclined supporting members are such that only onefliftis delivered at a time but it; should be understood that the dimensions of these parts may be varied if desired.

- Although the invention has been set forth as embodied a particular machine, it

stack.

bers arranged on opposite sides of the stack and adapted to engage an article of thestack, and positively actuated means for causing relative movement between the stack and members to cause the article to beengaged by the members and separated from the 13. A machine of the class described, having in combination, means for supporting a V article to be separatedtrom the stack.

15. A machine of the class described, having -in combination, means for supporting a stack otarticles, pushers for engaging the lowermost article of said stack, and positively actuated means for moving the pushers alternately into engagement with said article, to cause said articleto be separated from the stack.

16. A machine of the class described, having in combination, means for supporting a stackaof articles and means for positively pushing one of the articles, first in one direction and then insubstantially the opposite direction to separate the article from the stack. 7

17. A machine of the class described, having-in combination, a magazine for a stack of articles, two members arranged on opposite sides of the stack and adapted toengage anarticle of the stack, and means for causing-each article of the stack to be engaged alternatelyby themembers andmoved first in onedirection and then in another to separate it from the stack.

'18. A machine of th 'class described, having in combination, a magazine for a stack of articles, a plurality o'f feed members, and means for causing certain of said members to engage one end of each article in said stack'and move it' in one'direction, and for causing the rest of said members to engage the opposite end of each article and move it in substantially the opposite direction to separate the articles successively from the stack. s c

' 19. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a magazine for a stack of" articles, opposed feed members for loper ating upon opposite sides of an article at one end of the staclgand means for 'moving the feed wmembers together first in onetdirecr tion and then in the other in such manner i as to cause them to engage alternately the end article and move it first in agiven dilaeaelo 20. A machine of the class described havmg, in combination, a magazine fora stack tween them,and means for reciprocating the 1 connecting member.

21. A machine of the class 7 described,

01 articles, teed members located on opposite having in combination, a magazine fora stack of articles, said magazine including guides for holdingthe articles in substantial ahnement and spaced inclined supports for engaging separated localities on the'lowermost article, feed members slidable along said supports, and means for causingthe ing in combination, a magazine for a stack of articles, said magazine including guides torholding th v articles in substantial .alinement and spaced supports for engaging separated local ties on the lowermost article,

feed members slidable on the supports, and

means for causing the feed members to operate alternately upon the lowermost artlcle to separate, it from the stack, j Y c ment and spaced supports for engaging separated localities on the lowermost :article, feed members shdable' on the supports, and means for causing the feed members to,- opcrate alternately upon the lowermost article to move it throughlthespace between the supports. I s

24:. 'A machine of the class described, having in combination, a magazine' for a stack of articles, said magazine including guides .for holding the articles in substantial valinement and spaced supporting means for cn- H gaging opposite ends of the lowermost articlentheumeans for supporting one, end of the last-named article being inclined to the horizontal, means for manipulating the lastnamed article to free the other end of the article whereby thefreedend ofthe article will drop, and means for thereafter freeing the first-named end which is incontact w-itl ing separated localities on the lowermost article, feed members slidable'onthe supports, and a reciprocating .member upon which the feedmembers are pivoted, 126, A-machine of the class described, havllii f ing in combination, a stationary support for 1,4fee,sao

an article, said support comprising spaced members adapted to engage separated localities on th article, and means for causing relative movement between the'supportand the article first in one direction and thenin' another to move the article through the space between the members.

' 27. A machine ofthe class described, having in combination, a support for an article,

a plurality of feed members located on opposite sides of the article and positively operated means for causing relative movement between the support and membersto free;

the. article from the support.

28. A machine oftheiclass described, havj ing .in combination," means including three spaced members forsupporting an article,

and means for manipulating, the article to feed it through the space between the members. 29. A machine of the class described, having in combination, a support having three spaced members adapted to contact with an article at. separated localities, a plurality of feed members, andmeans for causing the feed members to'fre v the article first from edges of the lowermost blank whereby the locations-of a plurality of points in the opposite edges ofthelowerm ost blank'are determined tor each blankas 1t becomes the lowermost one irrespective of the manner) r in which the blank 1s warped, feed members,- 40

means for operating the feed members, and

4 means for controlling the paths of the members to cause them to engage the lowermost blank at the determined locations.

81. A machine ofthe class described, having, in combination, means for holding a stack of blanks'superposed 1n substantial alinement with one another, said means including three triangularly arranged spaced members held from movement with respect to one another, all located at substantially the same level and arranged to contact with the under face of the lowermost blank, and meansfor producing relative movement between the lowermost blank and the supporting members first in one direction and then in another ,to separate saidblank from the stack. r

32. A machine ofthe class described, have supportsfor engaging the under side of the ing,-in combination, means for holding' a stack of blanks superposed in substantial alinement with one another," said means mcluding three triangularly :arrang'ed I spaced members held from movement with respect to one another, all located at-sub 1 stantially the same level; and? arranged to contact with the under face of the lowermost 1 "blank, and means for-moving the lowermost blank first in one direction and thenl'in plortin members} 33. machine ofthe mg, lIICOHlblIlLlZlOIl, a magazinefor holdlng another to "free it-from contact with the-sup-j f1" f I 10 7, class described, hava stack ofblanks insubstantial alinement with one another, a plurality of stationary nembers located to support the stack by en-.

gaging marginal portions of'an end blank, v said members beingsp-aced apart a distance less than the corresponding dimension ofithe 7 blank and means for manipulating the blank while malntaining it undistorted to feed it through the opening between therspfaced supporting members.

34. A machine of the ing, in combination, a magazine for, holding a stack of blanks having immovable spaced" supports for engaging one side ,ofan end blank and thereby. supporting (the stack against movement through the magazine, a plurality of .pushers; arranged ;t o engage alternately opposite edges ofthe end blank, and means or operating the pushers first to free the blank from one or more 'of the supports and then to free it from thereimarning supports and permit it to pass bodily through the space between'them; 2 35. A machine'of the class described, havclass described having, in combination, a magazine forholding a stack of blanks having, three separated lowermost blank and thereby supporting the stack, a plurality of pushers, means for maintaining the'pusher in a fixed spaced relation, and means for reciprocating the pushers in directions substantially transverse tothe length dimension of the stack.

to movethe lowermost blank first in one direction to free it from one or more of the supports and permit one end of it to fall between the supports and then in another direction tofree it from the remaining supports and permit it to fall bodily between tlIQ'SHPPOItSQ a V In testimony whereof I'have signed name to this specification.

I? ."CUTL R' ;KNoWtfroN g I 7a A r 

